Sweet Summer
by Meloninme
Summary: Kind of the average French movie. Draco finds out that not everything is going to go his way and through his future experiences with lust, romance and loyalty; will he be able to fight the battle? But which one? The one around him or the one in his mind?
1. Default Chapter

Draco tried the usual task of getting his homework done before the summer

holidays were over, but with much effort he had put into it, none of it was to any use. His

mind kept drifting. Drifting towards a fantasy world he had created in his head. His father always told him that dreaming, which was what he did, is for those who can't do, and those who can't do, "Aren't worthy". Draco replaced his reading glasses with a tired hand, and rubbed his eyelids until his room was back into focus. It was the most beautiful room you could imagine. The thing with Draco was that he liked to keep things clean. His walls of velvet green hovered around him with classic furniture including couch, dressers, chairs and desk, with a king size four-poster in his room also, covered in black satin draping. He never liked the dark and mysterious ways the Hogwarts dungeons were, so he tried to keep his room the opposite. Although the dark and dingy look was not his sort of thing, it suited his character well, and he stuck with it. Draco absentmindedly dozed off again when suddenly got sense knocked back into him at the sound of his mother's booming voice.

"Draco!" she called from the other side of the oak door. "Are you awake already? It's eight in the morning. Surely you would want some rest?"

"No mother," he quickly huffed, "I'm alright. I've just been…studying."

But in reality, he hadn't got much done. He had just been thinking.

"Okay dear, but if you're willing to come down for breakfast, the house elves will be more then happy to whip something up for you. Would you like that?"

"Sure."

"Then it's settled. I'll be in the Parlor if you need anything."

Draco listened to his mother's footsteps steady down the hall until all he could here was a constant ringing in his ears. Draco jumped off his bed with great ease and tiptoed on the cold marble floor. Closing his bedroom door behind him, he glided down the hall until he got to the grand staircase, which led him into the Foyer. Making a left he made his way to a seat in the kitchens where, there waiting for him, was a plate of sausage, eggs, and hash brown, with a glass of pumpkin juice beside it. Quickly finishing up his breakfast he decide some fresh air would clear his head for a while when his mother came in from upstairs. Seeing Draco she gave him warm hugged that only a mother could give, and asked him if he was studying for his test today.

"What test?" he asked. His mother gave him a deadly look.

"Draco? Don't tell me you didn't study?" Draco gave her a quizzical look, and then answered brightly, "Okay. Then I won't."

"Draco! You know how important this is for your father. It is also a benefit for you, to learn how to apparate that is. And it is you first step in becoming a… well you know… a, Death Eater." Narcissa finally whispered it as if she was irking a spot of darkness he just didn't want to get into. 'Death Eater' this and 'Death Eater' that was all his father talked about these days. And the fact that he wanted Draco to become one as well was not helping the continuous avoidance of the matter. Draco didn't want to become a Death Eater. To throw his life away over some senseless killings was not how he pictured his future. No. He wanted to become an Auror, or a quidditch player, or even take Professor Snape's job of potion mastering at Hogwarts; But never one of _'them'._

"Mother?" he asked politely, "You do know that Death Eaters are just throwing their lives away for a few muggle killings don't you? And besides I hate them just as much as they do, but come on, why kill them?" Of course he wasn't all truthful. He wanted to ask so many other questions. He didn't even know why he himself hated them. It was just the way he was brought up. "I know sweetie, I know. But this will make your father so happy."

"You have got to be kidding me," Draco shot back, a smirk placing itself upon his face as he backed away from the kitchen table towards the windows.

"Since when has anything I've done made father happy?"

Narcissa fumed. "Draco, you are going to take that test, and that's final!" she snapped, charging out of the kitchen.


	2. The Truth

Draco reluctantly wondered into the Ministry office for Transportation Department, fiddling with his fingers. "Stupid father," he mumbled under his breath, "Stupid Death Eaters, stupid test, stupid destiny, stupid life…" Staring at his moving feet, he didn't realize someone had been in front of him and had knocked the person of track. "Sorry," he mumbled; he glanced himself a scene of a girl with chestnut brown eyes and bushy brown hair with pout like lips. He stopped between the test room doorways and turned around. The girl didn't expect him to help her up, as she knew Draco Malfoy only to well, and got up immediately.

"Well, well, well," he grinded through his smirk. "If it isn't my favorite mudblood. Hermione Granger."

"I'm flattered, _Malfoy_," she said through gritted teeth, shooting him dark glares that could kill.

"Let me guest?" Draco started circling her. Hermione stood firm with her chin held high. He continued. "They finally found out that you weren't a real wizard, and they ordered you here so they can take your wand away mudblood?" he sneered.

"Let me guess," she replied coldly towards him, "Here to try and bail your father out of Azkaban for him?" she said with satisfaction soothing through her voice at the look on Draco's face. True his father was in Azkaban, but the thought of bailing him out was painful, literally.

"Don't talk about what you don't know about Granger. I'm warning you."

"You're warning me? Please Malfoy I know just as much as you do," she said, remembering the attack at the Ministry, which happened not to long ago. Hermione, who was a bit flustered from anger, nudged pass him whispering, "Move out of my way Death Eater."

Hermione was almost through when she felt a strong hand grasp her left forearm.

She was immediately turned around to be facing a stern looking Draco Malfoy.

"I… am not…a…Death Eater," he said through gritted teeth. Hermione pulled her arm out of his grasp. Slowly backing into the doorway she replied sheepishly but clearly, "Well, you definitely do act like one. And face it Draco Malfoy, you will be one. That's the truth." Hermione walked through the doors, leaving an empty soul in the hallway.

Draco stood there, not angry, not confused, not frustrated, and not thinking of how a mudblood had beaten him at his own game. She was right. He knew it. Someday he would become a Death Eater. Is that what everyone thought he was? This would definitely ruin his chance at being an Auror. He now felt as if he needed to prove himself. He wanted to prove everyone they were wrong if that was the case.

Draco burst through the doors and took the last seat for the testing available. Now he was mad. He was so wrapped up in anger that he hadn't even realized Hermione sitting in front of him when he first sat down. Hermione shifted uncomfortably when she noticed Draco sitting behind her. Both their train of thoughts were put aside when a constructor came out to give them the test. A tall tan wizard wearing a long black robe glided to the front of the room. All the other wizards and witches who were going to take the test gave him their attention; Draco and Hermione included when he spoke.

"Good morning to you all. Today is the day you'll be learning how to apparate at and disparate at will. Now if you could pay attention I will be putting you all in groups."

The tan Wizard put them into two groups, A and B. Draco was in Group B.

Through the whole entire morning Draco was exceedingly well at his tests. There was four parts of the test; disappearing within a room, disappearing into wizard protected areas, and testing on your keen instincts to blend in with a crowd once you've apparated.

"Good job Mr. Malfoy," his instructor said. Draco didn't think his grade on the last three test were good. Well, at least not for his father. "Eventually," he thought to himself, "He'd have to take the bloody test someday anyway."

By the time everyone had been tested on the first three tests, it was nearing 6:00 in the evening. Both the groups were brought back into the room, into their original seats. Draco was feeling much better after all that testing. When he sat back in his seat, Hermione was already there in front of him. "Hmm," he thought, "Messing with Granger should be put to use."

Before he could act, the constructor walked back in. "Okay," he said, clapping his hands together, "Now, you will be taking your final test of the exam." When he was done, he pulled out an eleven-inch wand and waved it in the air. In front of everyone appeared a notebook of fifteen pages and a quill. "Right," he continued. "Now, on each page there is ten questions on each topic of aparating and disaparating. Please finish the test within one hour. Refrain yourself from talking for it disrupts the testing area. If you do disrupt you will be turning in your test with a fail and will be able to take the test again in two months." He viewed the whole room to see if everyone understood. "Great, you may begin."

Draco began his test, with much difficulty. He got the first two or three questions right, but because he hadn't studied, he wouldn't be able to past this without some kind of help. Then he saw it. The Mud-blood Granger who sat right in front of him. She was known at school for being a know-it-all; now she just might come in handy.

"Psst, Granger?"

"What?"

"What's the answer to number six?"

"I'm not going to let _you_ cheat on me. Ever, Malfoy," and she returned to her own test. Draco was furious. She refused to let him cheat, "How dare her!" Reluctantly, he needed her help though. So he began prodding her. Hermione tried to ignore, but soon enough she grew restless. "What Malfoy!"

"Excuse me Miss Granger?" the constructor asked, hearing the disturbance. "Could you please come to the front of the room?"

Hermione hesitantly looked around. She turned around to see Draco, in shock. Draco stared back at her, his face open, gaping like a fish. Hermione gave him one of her coldest stares, and walked up to the front. "Please turn in your paper."

Hermione gave him her paper.

"You have two more months to practice for the test again. Perhaps next time you'll be a little quieter." He said, taking the test in his hands.

"You can't be serious!" she said in disbelief. The constructor then, ripped the paper to pieces. "Fine!" she said sternly. She walked back to her desk to gather up her things. Turning to Draco she hissed, "I hope your happy," before leaving the room.


	3. Not Soulless

"Well," Draco thought, "I didn't see that coming."

Hermione rushed out of the Ministry of Magic's phone booth into the streets. She knew her uncle expected her to pass, so he didn't mind to pick her up. "Great," she thought. Now she had no way to get home and it was all Draco Malfoy's fault. Hermione walked through one of the nearby alleys. Relying on what she knew, there was a town on the other side. She was a little in the ally when someone hollered, "Hey sweet stuff, come over here," said a man, who looked he was no younger then 20. She turned, over looking his shoulders where two of what she could only assume was his cronies lurked in the darkness.

"No thanks," she said with a look of disgust.

"What? Do you think your better then us?"

"No," she said frankly. "I don't know who you are and I don't want to know." Hermione proceeded walking when she could feel their presence behind her. Hermione began walking faster. They caught up. Then she started running. She tried to run around them to go back to the Ministry, but one of the young men pinned her to a wall.

"Let go of me! Let go of me! Please, someone, help!"

Draco finally had finished his paper and was now waiting for it to get checked for a grade.

"Well done Mr.Malfoy. I think you'll be happy to know that you've passed. Here is your test paper, and have a pleasant day. You may now apparate when ever you wish."

Draco was pleased. He couldn't wait to do it again. Since you couldn't do it within the Ministry walls, he decided to get some fresh air outside, to apparate home. Once he was out of the Ministry phone booth, he was about to disaparate, when he remembered.

"_Blend in and do it secretly."_

Draco noticed that it had started to rain. If anything he wanted to get out of this weather fast before it ruined his clothes. Draco found shelter in the nearby alley. Draco walked into the middle of the alley to apparate, when he saw a weird setting in front of him. A clump of clothes, or at least that's what it looked like, was sprawled on the floor, not to far away. What he could see though was a bunch of bushy brown hair. His curiosity got the better of him when he looked to examine what he assumed was a body.

"Who would be sleeping in the rain?" he thought to himself.

Obviously not one of his brightest moments, he slowly grazed the ground with each step he took towards what he assumed was a sleeping body.

"Hello?" he called. No answer.

"Hello?" he exclaim again. Although he didn't have the biggest heart, he was concerned for this body that lay discarded in the cold and rain. He kneeled down to shake the person awake. During his efforts, every bushy brown streak of hair brushed away in the wind.

It was Hermione.

Draco stepped back out of shock. He looked at her unconscious, bruised face. She had bruises all over her. "Enervate!" he yelled, pointing his wand at her. She suddenly woke up. She wasn't shore where she was. The pain though, it was clear.

She hadn't noticed Draco there but she did call for help.

"Someone please help me," she kept whispering, thrashing as though she were being attacked. Draco brushed two hands on each of her shoulders.

"You," she whispered again. Her voice didn't seem to be working right.

"Yes me Granger. What happened?" he said with worry."

"Some men… attacked me, and raped me," she replied, her tear streaked faced beet red. She could feel the cuts, the bruises…they were all over her. Even the embrace Malfoy gave her had a small sense of pain. Through all of this, she kept asking herself two questions: "Why me? Why did this happen to me?" and "Malfoy cares. Why does Malfoy care?" But at that point, she was in too much pain to give it a second thought.

Hermione again, pleaded for help. She really hadn't expected Draco to help her, but for him to just let her lie there in the rain, to die.

"Please, help me. I can't feel my legs. He broke my pelvis. I heard it break when he… he…" Hermione couldn't speak anymore because all she could do was cry.

Draco didn't know what to do. It was a battle between two sides of him. What should he do? Should he help her? What would his father say?

"Fuck my father," he thought to himself. He finally decided what he was going to do. Picking her easily off the ground, Draco made his way out of the alley.

Hermione couldn't believe what was happening. But it didn't matter. Draco's bold chin, and grim worried face was the last thing she could remember before darkness enveloped her.

Saint Mungo's Hospital

Intensive Care Unit

Draco sat outside Hermione's patient room, waiting for the doctor to return with her diagnoses.

"Mr. Malfoy?" he heard her call in a deep Irish accent, but for some reason his mind couldn't function. The doctor had to wave her hand in front of his face before she could receive a response.

"Dr. Connelly? How is she?" he asked. Connelly opened her report notebook.

"Ms. Granger had been raped: Heavily bruised, she's been beaten, her pelvic bone had been crushed so we had to re-grow it, and she was stabbed by what our experts can tell a butterfly knife." She finished. Draco nodded his head slowly.

"Butterfly knife… what's that?"

"It's a muggle weapon. The blade is closed as though it was a pocket knife when not in use. I've only usually known people to carry it to defend oneself, not offend."

"Oh. May I see her?"

The doctor smiled. "Of course you can." She opened the door to reveal a deep sleeping Hermione.

"We sedated her a while ago. For now she won't be waking, but you can stay with her if you like," she whispered, opening the door to leave. Be fore she did, she said lastly.

"You must really care for her," then she left.

Draco looked back at the closed door. 'What did she just say?' Draco took an empty seat beside Hermione's bed. He never took his eyes off of Hermione the entire time. Her face was heavily bruised, and she had a cut just below her eye. Her hair, which he assumed they washed because of the dirt and mud, lay heavenly around her, framing her face. She had a serene look on her face, but every once in a while, her twitched, as though she was reliving the horrific event all over again. "Fuck," Draco whispered. He kept saying in his head, "I don't care for her… she's a mud-blood. Just a stupid, well, not stupid, but…" his mind kept racing for excuses. 'I mean, this is what my father does all time to muggles. I hear him brag about it, and there's nothing new. He does this…this. He does this to unsuspecting girls, and women. He does this fun. He does this…' his face flushed with anger… 'He does this…'

"I don't want to be a death eater," he said quietly. He stared at his hands for a while, before lifting his gaze back to Hermione.

"I don't want to be a death eater, Granger. I don't want to be like him: I'm an ass, and I'm sometimes heartless… But I'm not soulless." He lifted Hermione's limp hand, holding it in his. 'What am I doing here,' he suddenly thought. 'I shouldn't be here.'

Draco let go of her hand, placing it at her side. He got up to leave. At the same time, Dr. Connelly came back with a glass of water.

"Mr. Malfoy, I thought you might like…" she stopped abruptly, seeing him stand.

"Are you leaving?" she asked. Draco spotted a plea for stay in her words.

"Yes."

"But, why?"

"Look," Draco began, shuffling his feet and moving side to side. "Miss Granger and I have never been pleasant toward each other. I've verbally hurt her feelings over the last six years. I don't think seeing me here would make things better for her."

Dr. Connelly searched for a rebuttal. "But you cared enough to bring her in. Without you, she could have died. Please stay?"

"Do you know who my father is Dr. Connelly? Do you know what he would have done to me if he knew I was here helping a- Ms. Granger?"

"I certainly am aware of who your father is. He's the cause for half of our patients here. Him and all those other death eaters…" Draco's face turned somber.

"And what makes you think I'm not a death eater. Everyone thinks I'm a death eater," he said quietly.

"But you're not a death eater, because if you were a death eater, you wouldn't have saved her. Please, stay?"

Draco looked away.

"I can tell that you're not like your father. Stay."

Draco turned and sat back next to Hermione.

"I'll stay."

The doctor smiled with glee. "I'm glad you decided to do so. I'm sure Ms. Granger will be pleased also," she finished, before leaving.

Draco sighed, "Yeah, right…"


End file.
